Muirhead among Hennessy 18 Muirhead is the sole Irish representative after 18 were declared this morning for Saturday's Hennessy Gold Cup at Newbury. Paul Carberry's mount, winner of the Ladbrokes Munster National at Limerick last month before disappointing at Ascot, is set to carry 10st4lb. The Paul Nolan-trained Joncol was the only one taken out at the 48-hour final declaration stage, with Neptune Collonges heading the weights. The top-weight is one of three entries for champion trainer Paul Nicholls, as Ruby Walsh teams up with Aiteen Thirtythree and Noel Fehily has got the leg-up aboard another leading fancy from Ditcheat in the long absent Michel Le Bon. Great Endeavour, trained by David Pipe, is bidding for a big-race double having won the Paddy Power Gold Cup at Cheltenham just a fortnight ago. Pipe's father Martin saddled Celestial Gold to win both races in 2004. Two of last season's most exciting novice chasers in Wayward Prince and Wymott both take their chance, while Planet Of Sound is one of three runners for Philip Hobbs along with Fair Along and Balthazar King. Wymott won his first three starts over fences last season and was injured when pulling up in the RSA Chase at Cheltenham. Graham Lee takes the ride with stable jockey Jason Maguire riding at Bangor and Newcastle and Maguire believes he has strong claims. "He'd have a good shout. He's obviously got a light weight. Graham Lee was in this morning to school him and I rode him work last week and he worked very well," Maguire told At The Races. "The only worry is how quick the ground is but he's definitely got a live chance." Charlie Longsdon's Qhilimar is the last horse in the handicap and officially 5lb out of the weights. The seven-year-old won at Newton Abbott on his seasonal reappearance before running third at Carlisle and his trainer feels he is a lively outsider. "He is out of the handicap and he's going to be a big price, but I hope he can run well," said Longsdon. "He's going to be getting loads of weight from plenty of others in the race and that could be important over three and a quarter miles."
